Council approves revised parks Wi‑Fi contract after staff finds prior speeds insufficient

The City Council approved a staff request to preapprove entering an agreement to install high‑speed Wi‑Fi access points in municipal parks after procurement found the earlier contract’s equipment and speeds were inadequate.

Latonya Ammons, director of procurement, said a prior CDBG‑funded contract under resolution 090‑22 produced download/upload speeds that did not meet needs. Staff and IT remeasured park coverage and concluded the city should reissue the solicitation in coordination with Palm Beach County CDBG officials. The recommended vendor will provide coverage with higher speeds (from roughly 5 Mbps to about 100 Mbps) and a total estimated cost of approximately $40,000 for five years (the $40,000 figure represents the total multiyear equipment and monitoring cost, not an annual fee).

Councilmembers asked whether private partners or national provider programs had been explored (e.g., Comcast philanthropic programs); procurement said staff would pursue such opportunities in the future but moved forward because county CDBG timing and prior contract shortcomings made immediate action necessary. The item was approved on the consent agenda.